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Metro Cone
Metro Cone is a 2005 American computer-animated fantasy comedy film and the fourth feature film from the animation studio Gingo Animation. One of the first Gingo films not made by Universal Pictures. In the film, an orphanage owner (Mickey Rooney) tells a story about a creative teenage boy named Metro Cone, who must protect a group of imaginary friends he created from the new anti-imagination law formed by Professor Wizzletum, a mad scientist obsessed with eliminating them. Gingo Animation began development of the film in 2001, after seeing the box office success of DreamWorks Animation's Shrek and Disney/Pixar's Monsters, Inc., Geo wanted Gingo to have computer-animated film just like DreamWorks and Pixar. Later on, they chose Universal Pictures to distribute it. Gingo's founder served as producer, while fellow employee Samuel Merritt directed the film. Production lasted eight months, with a production budget of at least $60 million, and took place in Canada, Taiwan, and South Korea. The voice cast included Seann William Scott, Kristen Schaal, John Goodman, Mila Kunis, Zooey Deschanel, Jim Carrey, Mickey Rooney, Georgia Engel, and Jackie Burroughs. Two pop music stars, Carole King and John Sebastian, contributed several songs. Although Universal Pictures passed on the project, 20th Century Fox acquired the distribution rights to the film and soon spent a record $24 million promoting it. The film premiered on November 13, 2005, in Washington, D.C., and was released in North America on November 23, 2005. Another Blur Studio work, Gopher Broke, played alongside the feature in theatres. Metro Cone received positive reviews from critics, who praised concern over its potential as a full-length advertisement for the title characters among other aspects. It went on to earn $169 million domestically, it won a Golden Reel Award. With over $468 million in worldwide sales, it set a box-office record for non-Disney animation, and has remained one of Gingo's largest-earning releases. The film's success saved Gingo from closing and helped revive films. Metro Cone ''was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, but it lost to ''Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Were Rabbit and Disney/Pixar's Wondercolts. It also received nominations for Best Original Score (for James Dooley), Best Original Screenplay (for writers John Landis, David N. Weiss, and J. David Stern) and Best Sound Mixing (Randy Thom, Tom Myers, Gary Rydstrom and Doc Kane). It has since been cited as inspiring a spate of animated and live-action features, and due to its success, it launched an expanded franchise and with three sequels—''Metro Cone 2'' (2008), Metro Cone 3: The Mystery to New York (2011) and Metro Cone Forever (2015)—as well as a television series. A fifth film is currently in development. The Metro Cone franchise continues and has included television series, specials, videos, and films. Plot The Cherrywoods are a middle-aged couple who run an orphanage. Mr. Cherrywood tells the orphans a story about some imaginary friends and Imaginary World, their home in the clouds. In the story, Lucy Cutie and Friend Bear travel looking for people to cheer up. They meet Metro Cone and Verra Marshall, two lonely orphaned children, who lost their parents in a car accident. Lucy and Wiz introduce themselves and remind the children of their ambitions, but neither of them are interested. At an amusement park, Wiz Lizard spots a mad scientist named Professer Wizzletum. While unloading a trunk of goods, Wizzletum finds an old book with a diary-style lock. When he unlocks it, an evil spirit appears as a woman's face, and starts corrupting him. With his help, it lays waste to the park, and begins a quest to remove all caring from the world. Back at Imaginary World, some of the other imaginary friends are working on their new invention: the Rainbow Rescue Beam, a portal that can send any bear to Earth and back. The two imaginary friends belonging to Grams Bear, Baby Hugs and Baby Tugs, interfere with it and bring forth a group of unexpected visitors: Lucy Cutie, Friend Bear, Metro Cone, and Verra Marshall. The imaginary friends introduce themselves to the children, and give them a tour of their home. Wiz Lizard returns on her now out of control Rainbow Roller just before a "Cloud Quake" caused by the spirit, which ruins Imaginary Friends. He informs the others of Professer Wizzletum's troubles on Earth. Using the Rainbow Rescue Beam, he sends Metro Cone and Verra Marshall to the park, along with Friend Bear and Lucy Cutie. They end up in the Forest of Feelings when the portal malfunctions. From a nearby river, the rest of the bears begin searching for them aboard a cloud ship called the Cloud Clipper, leaving behind Good Luck Friend, Bonk Bear, Grams Bear and the cubs in Imaginary World. Within the Forest, the children and their friends are introduced to Brave Heart Lion and Playful Heart Monkey, two of the cousins. Later on, the other imaginary friends discover more of these creatures, among them Cozy Heart Penguin, Lotsa Heart Elephant, Swift Heart Rabbit, and Bright Heart Raccoon. During their stay, the spirit attacks them in several disguises: a spearfish, tree, and eagle. After the imaginary friends and their Cousins defeat it, they venture back to Earth to save Professer Wizzletum from its influence. At the park, Professer Wizzletum obtains the ingredients for his spell against the children and the creatures. After he casts it, the imaginary friends and company engage in a long battle. The imaginary friends shoot beams of bright light on him, forming their "Stare"; the Cousins help with their "Call" – Good Luck Friend and Bonk Bear arriving in time to help after fixing the Rainbow Rescue Beam. As the creatures' power drains away, Professer Wizzletum and the spirit briefly regain control. After Metro Cone and Verra Marshakk assist him, he finally realizes his misdeeds. With Lucy Cutie's help, he closes the spirit's face back into the book and saves himself, the park, and the world. He thanks the group, while Wiz Lizard inducts the cousins into the Imaginary Family, and Metro Cone and Verra Marshall find new parents. As Mr. Cherrywood finishes his story, it is revealed that he is actually Professer Wizzletum and that his wife is actually Verra Marshall (though neither mentions what became of Metro Cone). Wiz Lizard, who has been listening from outside a window, returns to Imaginary World in her Cloudmobile. Voice cast : Main article: List of Metro Cone characters :* Seann William Scott as Metro Cone, a heroic, optimistic, imaginative teenager. :* Kristen Schaal as Vera Marshall, a teenage girl who is Metro's love interest. :* John Goodman as Bonk Bear, an anthropomorphic clumsy bear who is one of Metro's imaginary friends. :* Mila Kunis as Lucy Cutie, one of Metro's imaginary friends. :* Zooey Deschanel as Wiz Lizard, an anthropomorphic flying magical lizard who is one of Metro's imaginary friends. :* Jim Carrey as Professor Wizzletum, an imaginary friend-hating mad scientist who plans to get rid of the imaginary friends Metro created. :* Mickey Rooney as Mr. Cherrywood :* Jackie Burroughs as The Spirit :* Georgia Engel as Lily Cutie :* Brian McCann as Gus, one of Wizzletum's assistants. :* Samuel Merritt as Gorilla :* Rino Romano as Lloyd :* Danny Mann as Hank :* Kevin Michael Richardson as Buddy :* Sandy Fox as Vivian :* Geo G. as Melvin :* Corey Burton and Paul Rugg as Mutants :* Billy West as Timmy :* Taraji P. Henson as Mindy Cone, Metro's mother. :* Eric Idle as John Cone, Metro's father. Additional voices * Kirk Baily * Ranjani Brow * Mitch Carter * David Cowgill * Holly Dorff * Elisa Gabrielli * Johnny Gidcomb * Jackie Gonneau * Nicholas Guest * Wendy Hoffmann * Emily Johnson * Scott Menville * George Schermer * Mandy Sekelsky * Paul Taylor * Hans Tester * Steven L. Wagner * Debi Mae West Production Development In December 2001, after seeing the box office success of DreamWorks Animation's Shrek and Disney/Pixar's Monsters, Inc., Geo wanted Gingo to have computer-animated film just like DreamWorks and Pixar. Production of the first feature took place at another outlet, Gingo Animation. This came in a period in the company's history which Gingo co-founder Michael Wildshill refers to as its "dark years". At the time, Gingo had just finished production of its second full-length film, 2002's The Gabriel Garza Movie, which was produced using almost all of its resources (for around US$89 million), and failed to find proper distribution. The film put them on the verge of closing down. Soon after, the Gingo team began doing work on television shows like Niz Chicoloco, Little Critter, and GGTV. "In some instances," noted Audel LaRoque, vice-president of marketing and entertainment communications at Gingo, "their capabilities surpassed Disney quality." Various companies vied to produce Metro Cone, and 20th Century Fox was the first to do so; LaRoque sought to seize the opportunity after hearing of its development. To convince the production partnership, LaRoque held a competition inspired by Pepsi-Cola's "Pepsi Challenge" commercials of the time, in which he tested clips from Gingo and other vying studios and checked the "animation quality, music, sound effects, and colour" of each. He then asked the producers to decide on the best demo, and Gingo scored highest. LaRoque later recalled the words of his partners: "We know you've rigged this against everybody else because you've chosen the clips. But we like the approach." Casting During the time, when Gingo was looking for a younger actor for the voice role of Metro Cone, Shia LaBeouf was considered for the character. He screen tested for the role and was interested, but when Samuel Merritt was unable to make contact with him, he took it as a "no". In addition to LaBeouf, Zach Braff, who subsequently accepted the role of BJ Wilson in another Gingo animated film, BJ and Wally, was also considered for the role of Metro Cone. Merritt took the role to Seann William Scott, and he accepted. For the role of Professer Wizzletum, Nicolas Cage, Michael Keaton, Bobby Campo and James Franco were considered, but Jim Carrey won the role for his natural comedy. In January 2003, it was announced Merritt was cast. Producers and crew Metro Cone was one of the first films from Gingo Animation not to be distributed by Universal Pictures. Produced for at least US$60 million, the film was financed by Gingo Animation. Brought in under budget, Metro Cone became Gingo's fourth feature-length production, and was made over an eight-month period that lasted until September 2005. Michael Wildshill is quoted as saying in Daniel Stoffman's 2012 book, The Gingo Story: "Nobody had ever made an animated movie for theatrical release for as little money and in as little time." In 2016 his partner, Geo G., told American Business magazine: "I swear I grimaced at the thought of doing a feature. But Wildshill went out and actually brought that project in." Gingo was responsible for the script, several special effects, including those for the "Imaginary Friend Stare", and hired musicians and voice actors.43 With this project, Samuel Merritt directed the film; prior to this, he worked on several Gingo productions, including Hatty. Gingo's founder—Geo G.—participated as the main producer. The studio's roster included Charles Bonifacio, the director of animation, and supervising animator D. Brewster,9 who previously took part in the animation courses at Ontario's Sheridan College. Dale Schott, who served as a storyboard artist, remarked that "Gingo had a lot to do with reviving the low-budget feature" with its efforts on Metro Cone. Michael Wildshill served as executive producer. Carole MacGillvray III, who became president of General Mills' M.A.D. (Marketing and Design) division in February 2004; and Robert Unkel, LBS' senior vice-president of programming. A fifth producer, Gingo Animation staffer W. Ray Peterson, went uncredited. Animation Unlike previous Gingo films, Metro Cone was Gingo's first feature-length computer-animated feature. Production took place at Blur Studio. Gingo faced several problems with their Korean contractors, among them the language barrier between the Canadian crew and the overseas staff, and the unwieldy processes through which the film reels were shipped to the West. At one point, Loubert, Smith, and fellow staffer David Altman spent three days trying to persuade several unpaid animators to return important layout sketches. In exchange for the layouts, Gingo gave them US$20,000 in Korean won. By then, the production was falling behind schedule, and an opening date was already set; Loubert sent half of the work to Taiwan (where Lenora Hume supervised), while the remainder stayed in Korea under Loubert's and Smith's watch. Back in the Americas, Wildshill tried to promote the unfinished feature before its deadline; unable to get available footage, he instead managed to show potential marketers some Leica reels and a few moments of completed colour animation. According to him, it was the first time an animated "work in progress" was screened to exhibitors; this ploy has since been used by the Disney company, particularly in the case of Beauty and the Beast (at the 1991 New York Film Festival). "People loved the movie anyway," he said of this experiment. "I was told it was considered great salesmanship. It made them feel that they were part of the process because they were seeing unfinished work." Music The music for Metro Cone was composed by James Dooley. The soundtrack album was released in CD format by Back Lot Music in the United States, and on Cherry Lane Records in the United Kingdom. Six songs were performed by Carole King, John Sebastian, NRBQ, and the Tower of Power; actor Harry Dean Stanton had a guest appearance as Brave Heart Lion for the song "Home is in Your Heart". The songs were produced by Lou Adler and John Sebastian, with additional lyrics and music by Ken Stephenson, Walt Woodward, and David Bird; Gingo crewmember Peter Hudecki prepared the song sequences. Release Metro Cone was originally going to be released on July 7, 2006 by Universal Pictures, but in December 2004, it was moved up a year earlier to November 23, 2005 when Universal/Gingo's BJ and Wally was moved up to June 30, 2006. However, following Gingo's split with Universal in February 2005, 20th Century Fox acquired the film's distribution rights the following month, as part of their new distribution deal with Gingo's parent company, Gingo Entertainment. Fox retained Universal's original release date of November 23, 2005.Metro Cone ''premiered in Washington, D.C., on November 13, 2005, as part of a Special Olympics benefit; the cast and filmmakers attended this event. The theatrical release was accompanied by Blur Studio's 2004 Academy Award-nominated short film ''Gopher Broke. In March 2004, IMAX decided to plan a big-screen 3D version of Metro Cone. The film would have been re-released during the Christmas season of 2006, or the following summer, after its conventional 2D release. The re-release would have also included new sequences and an alternate ending. Plans for this was dropped due to "creative changes" instituted by Fox and resulted in a loss of $1.12 million, down from IMAX's profit of $4.11 million. However, on August 17, 2015, Fox and IMAX announced that Metro Cone would be re-released on September 23, 2015 in IMAX 3D for a limited time, to honor the 10th anniversary of the franchise. A montage of "outtakes" were made and included in the end credits of the film starting on December 28, 2005, which was done because Fox hoped it would encourage people to view the film a second time. Marketing The film's advertising budget was US$60 million; Variety reported that "the beneficiaries of its merchandising tie-ins have earmarked remaining $20,000,000 to promo products in step with the film's release". For the film's promotion, Gingo's staff partnered with Kenner Toys and the fast food chain Burger King; there were also tie-ins on Trix cereal boxes. Parker Brothers published two tie-in books, Meet the Imaginary Friends and Keep On Imagining, shortly after the film's release; both were reissued in June 2006 by Children's Press. * The teaser trailer was released on March 11, 2005, and was later shown in theaters with Robots, Tj's World: The Movie, Kim Possible Movie: So The Drama, Madagascar, and Wondercolts. * The theatrical trailer was released on July 1, 2005, and was later shown in theaters with other films such as M.I.S.S.I.O.N., Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Proud Family Movie, Corpse Bride, Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Were Rabbit, and Chicken Little. * TV spots aired from October 23 to December 14, 2005. Video game A video game based on the film was released on November 8, 2005 on PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, PlayStation Portable, PC, and OS Macintosh, as well as on mobile phones. An Xbox 360 version was released on November 22, 2005, the day before the film went into theaters. Home media Metro Cone was released in the United States on March 7, 2006, in DVD format. The release included a new short film Dial "M" For Metro. On April 10, 2006, it debuted in 26th place on Billboard's Top DVD Rentals chart. It ranked fourth on the first edition of the magazine's Top DVD chart (on June 5). It was tracked by Video Insider's family chart (on April 30, 2006), as one of five best animated titles on disc. On November 14, 2006, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment re-released the film on DVD as part of its Family Fun Editions Collection; the Blu-ray edition premiered on September 9, 2008, and was packaged with Metro Cone 2. In 2012, the film was released on Blu-ray 3D. In honor of Metro Cone's 10th anniversary, a four pack with all four films was released on December 15, 2015, with restored picture quality. Gingo Animation launched an official anniversary website and a Dodge Grand Caravan giveaway as part of the proceedings. It was released on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray on November 15, 2016. By 2018, home video sales of Metro Cone totalled over five million units. The Heroes was scheduled to premiere on the US premium television network, Disney Channel, on February 28, 2007, but did so one month in advance. In May 2008, the film made its terrestrial broadcast premiere on the ABC network's Saturday morning schedule. It also aired on American Movie Classics in July 7, 2008, and on Showtime, The Movie Channel and other channels in the later years. The film aired on Starz Entertainment's Encore channel in September 2017, as part of its "Big 2000s" Labor Day marathon, chronicling various releases from that decade. Reception Box office Metro Cone opened on November 23, 2005 in the United States and Canada. It got to earn $73,753,953 during its opening weekend, placing first in its box office during that weekend and setting new records such as earning the highest-opening weekend for a non-sequel animated feature, and the highest opening for an original non-Disney/Pixar film. The film also earned the highest-grossing domestic debut for Gingo Animation (later overtaken by its sequel in 2008). By the end of its theatrical run, Metro Cone grossed a total of $468,952,248 worldwide. Critical reception Metro Cone received critical acclaim, becoming a cult hit among critics upon release. Review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 89% approval rating with an average rating of 7.5/10 based on 233 reviews. The site's consensus reads "Metro Cone ''offers visual treats that more than compensate for its somewhat thinly written story, adding up to a satisfying diversion for younger viewers." On Metacritic, it received a score of 78 out of 100, based on 73 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Peter Travers of ''Rolling Stone gave the film four out of four stars, saying "In one of the most anticipated movies of the summer and its first computer-animated feature, Gingo offers audiences Metro Cone the whole family could enjoy the delightful addition to the Gingo classics with non-stop humor." Richard Corliss of Time Magazine praised John Goodman's performance as Bonk Bear, stating that "it gets even funnier for his comic relief career that brings the well-known self for his life." Todd McCarthy of Variety liked the concept, also stating "As directed by Samuel Merritt, Metro Cone has a very engaging concept for a movie taking place to stop a villian from destroying the world." Accolades